GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The gospel of federal deficit reduction was preached in two sermons Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Justin Amash and former U.S. Comptroller David Walker warned a Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon of the nation’s looming federal deficit.

Most members of the House and Senate do not understand the “emergency of the debt crisis,” the 32-year-old Amash said. “The good news is that the tide is turning, thanks largely to the freshman class.”

Amash lamented the House Republicans ‘ winner-take-all strategy on the debt ceiling debate, saying it forestalled the possibility of bi-partisan compromise.

“If you’re continually in a take-no-prisoners political war, it’s not easy to talk to the other side, let alone trust them,” Amash said.

Amash also decried the debt ceiling compromise that was labeled as a deficit reduction measure.

“A genuine compromise requires both parties to make concessions,” he said. Instead, neither side made notable concession to reduce the deficit, he said.

“Many of us in the freshman class were begging the senior members to accept closing tax loopholes, eliminating oil subsidies, eliminating farm subsidies and reforming military spending,” Amash said. “That’s the only way we can win the real reforms for Social Security and Medicare.”

Amash also used his appearance to pitch his balanced budget constitutional amendment. The proposal, which he said has more bi-partisan support than any other being pushed in Congress, would require Congress to match spending and the deficit over a three-year average.

“It’s unethical, it’s immoral and it must stop,” said Walker of the gridlock which has prevented Congress from acting on the deficit.

While Walker got most of his audience to raise their hands in support of a solution that encompassed cuts in Social Security and mandatory savings plans for younger Americans with no cuts for Americans 55 and older, he said the solution has no chance of passing in Congress.